Man accused of stealing from burned-down home gets 10 years

Also charged with grabbing, stealing ring from JCPenney

STERLING — A Sterling man accused of stealing from a home that burned down before Christmas was sentenced to 10 years in prison in that and two other cases Thursday.

John Contreras, 49, pleaded guilty to theft and robbery charges and had a handful of misdemeanor cases and other counts dismissed.

The suspect has five prior felony convictions that include burglaries and trespassing, according to Deputy District Attorney Travis Sides.

He also said Contreras not only stole between from the burned down home (between $500 and $1,00 worth of undisclosed items), but stole a former landlord's car to break into a former apartment he lived in.

In another case, Sides said Contreras went to a JCPenney store, asked to look at a ring, then grabbed it and ran out of the store.

"This is an example of the depths of what methamphetamine addiction can do to someone," said Public Defender Tom Ward during the hearing. "He's fundamentally a good person."

Ward said the 10-year stipulated sentence made sense for Contreras, who apologized to his wife in court, because of the property crimes and his criminal record.

Contreras had scheduled a preliminary hearing in March to argue his charges, but had been arrested for a restraining order violation before his court date. He had also been arrested for an additional restraining order violation and for failing to comply with conditions before Thursday's hearing.

He received 91 days credit for time served and three years of additional mandatory parole.

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